"Hey Peppermint Butler, where's PB?" Finn asks, "She said she needed my help."
"Oh Finn, good timing the Princess is in her lab, you wait here I'll go get her." Peppermint Butler responds carrying a silver platter.
"Nah dude we know where it is," Jake says walking toward the hall with Finn following him, "Thanks."
"NO!" The butler shouts jumping in front of them, "The Princess is working on something important and she doesn't want anyone to find out about it."
"Oh, okay…" Finn answers, "We'll wait here then."
As the butler goes to fetch P.B. a frantic Flame Princess busts down the doors searching for Finn and Jake.
"FP Calm down!" Finn yells, "What's wrong?"
She takes a deep breath and clams down, then she holds out a wimpy looking candle.
"It's my father!" She claims looking at the stick of wax.
Finn takes a closer look at the candle, and finds a strange face trying to take form. It slowly becomes clearer, and with a weak cry it says, "help."
"What happened?" Finn asks.
"My father's crown was stolen," She explains, "That crown is what gave him his powers, and now that it's gone he's become super weak."
"Hmmm." Jake ponders, "That reminds me of someone…"
"Really who?" Finn asks.
"I don't know, I forgot!" Jake laughs.
"Guys focus here." Says the impatient F.P.
"Oh yeah, right" Says Finn focusing, "Flame King, did you see the thief?"
"no…" he stampers.
"Do you know where he went?" Finn continues questioning.
"No" The Flame King repeats, "the coward stole it in my sleep!"
"Great, so we have nothing to go on…" Jake says crossing his arms.
"Start with the Ice King." Says Princess Bubblegum entering the conversation wearing her lab coat.
"What?" Finn asks, "Why would the Ice King have his crown?"
"Well that was the mission I was going to give you any way," She explained.
"That guy has been after my crown for a while now…" The Flame King adds.
"Dad he doesn't even know who you are…" Flame Princess responds.
"Yeah, and any way he already has one," Finn adds, "Why would he need yours?"
"The power!" The Flame King shouts with a burst of energy, "Imagine the power of fire and ice!" After shouting this the Flame King looses all the strength he had and dwindles back into the pitiful state he was in before.
"What are we going to do about my father?" Flame princess asks.
"He should be fine, he's just going through a little bit of withdrawal." Princess Bubblegum encourages, "He should be fine by the time Finn and Jake get back."
"What do you mean withdrawal?" F.P. asks.
"Being a fire elemental the Crown only enhances the Flame King's abilities." the princess explains, "Basically it's like blowing on a fire to help it. It's fine if you keep it up, but once you stop the fire hinder's a bit and isn't as bright as it was while you were blowing, but it's still going however."
"Oh yeah that explains it…" Finn says not understanding a lick of what PB just said, "Come on Jake let's go check out the Ice King's palace."
"Alright dude," Jake answers following Finn to the door.
They travel to the Ice Kingdom and make their way to the Ice King's cave. They climb up and walk in. The entire place is trashed, clothing and garbage all over the floors along with empty drawers pulled out of the cabinets.
"ICE KING!" Finn yells, "Give back the Flame King's crown!"
"Yeah, and while your at it, clean up this mess." Jake says picking up a ditty sock.
The Ice King pops out of a pile of cloths and looks around surprised to find Finn and Jake admits the pills of clothing. "Oh, what are you guys doing here?"
"We're looking for the Flame King's Crown," Finn asks, "Do you know where it is?"
"Who's Crown?" The Ice king questions.
"The Flame King's!" Finn shouts.
"Who's that?" The Ice King repeats as he turns around a begins rummaging around in the piles of cloths again.
"Never mind, Finn he doesn't have it" Jake says, "hey I.K. what are you looking for?"
"Her photo!" The Ice King says.
"who's photo." Jake continues.
"HER photo?!" The Ice King emphasizes.
"Fine, where did you last put it?" Finn asks annoyed.
"Why do you need to know?" The old man ask turning around slowly.
"We want to help you look for it..." Jake explains.
"So you can STEAL IT?!" He says with blue auras glowing around his hands.
"No of course not!" Finn exclaims.
"YOU CANT HAVE IT!" The Ice King yells and starts floating in the air
"YO! Calm down Ice King!" Jake says putting his hands in the air, "We're not gonna take it!"
"IT'S MINE!," He says then starts shooting ice lightning at Finn and Jake.
"ICE KIIIIIIING!" Finn shouts. He tries to throw a punch, but is hit with one of the blasts.
The Ice King continues firing his Lightning at Finn and Jake, and they are forced to take cover. They hide behind the bed and take a short breath.
"This Guy's gone nutzo!" Finn screams.
"What are we gonna do man?" Jake asks.
"We Fight!" Finn says heroic pose.
The two jump out and are frozen instantly. Their heads are left out so that they can talk, but that's it. They are completely immobilized, and the Ice King flies closer.
"It is my photo! now one can have it…" He says closing in, "Not even you!"
"YOU CRAZY OLD MAN!" Finn yells, "We don't want your stinking photo!"
Just as he yells there is a whooshing sound. An arrow is shot at the Ice King and it hit's his crown. The crown is hooked onto the wall and Finn and Jake are freed from the Ice. Just as Finn and Jake pick them selves up again, a man wearing a large hood and cowl quickly jumps from the window and snags the crown. He looks at the Ice King for a second and shake's his head. His hood and cowl are covered in tares and singes. They can't see his face because he's wearing a mask covering his eyes and nose. Finn and Jake take a closer look and he has another two other crowns tied to his side. Before they can make their move the thief jumps out of the window and escapes.
"Hey that's mine!" Says the Ice King jumping in the air to try to fly and catch him, but he falls on his face, "Never mind you can have it…"
"Ice King are you okay?" Jake asks.
"Yes, except for my face," He says lifting his head, "and maybe my pride…"
"Who was that?" Finn asks looking in the direction the thief left.
"How am I supposed to know?" The Ice King says sitting up.
"Hey Finn," Jake ponders, "You saw the crowns too right?"
"Yeah," Finn responds, "Why does he need so many?"
"Remember what the Flame King said?" Jake answers, "Maybe he's trying to get more powerful by combining a whole bunch of crowns."
"We should let Pubbs know," Finn suggests, "Ice King where's your phone?"
"It's right over there," He says pointing to his telephone hanging on the wall, "I'm going to make a sandwich you guy's want anything?"
"What… no," Finn says waiting for someone to pick up, "Hello, Princess?"
"Finn, how goes the mission?" Asks PB.
"Listen Princess there's this guy and he just stole the Ice King's crown, we think he's collecting them!" Finn explains.
"Oh really?" Princess Bubblegum says, "Thank you Finn, we'll be ready for him."
"Good," Finn says hanging up, "Jake let's get after that thief!"
"Gotcha!" Jake says picking up Finn and stretching out of the window, "We're gonna get ya random thief dude!"
They search for a while, and come up with a set of footprints.
"Yupp it's the same guy," Jake says sniffing them, "I can smell his Evil -_-"
They follow the tracks and travel almost half way back to the Candy Kingdom, but then Night falls and the tracks run out. The look around and they don't see hide or hair of the thief. But then Jake smells smoke from a campfire. They follow the smell and find the camp where the campfire was. Sitting next to the fire with his arm in a pool of water. Sitting next to the pool is a pack pack, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. The Ice King's crown is now tied along with the other two crowns on his side. He turns toward Finn and Jake and asks them to sit down.
"We're good," Finn says a bit confused, "Hand over the crowns, now!"
"I'm using them right now, I'll return them eventually," He replies.
"You cant have them," Finn informs, "they belong to someone else"
"I know that," The thief explains, "So what are your names?"
"I'm Finn and that's Jake" Finn answers, "Stop changing the subject. The crowns now!"
"No." The thief responds frankly, "This conversation is worse than I expected."
"We're not here to chit chat!" Jake informs him.
"If that's the case," He says standing up, "I'm gonna get back to work."
He picks up his bow and walks around the fire heading into the woods.
"Hey!" Finn yells, "Get back here!"
The thief just keeps walking, and he doesn't respond.
"I said GET BACK HERE!" Finn shouts as he attacks the man, flying through the air with a kick. The thief simply turns around and grabs Finn's foot out of the air.
"I'm busy," He says dropping Finn on his head, "We can play some other time."
Finn jumps back up and pulls out his sword, "Your not goin any where thief!"
Finn charges with his sword poised for a swing. The man parries pulling out his own sword. The two duke it out with almost equal skills, each one managing to land small cut's on the other. The battle drags out and Finn finally lands a substantial blow. He cuts the man's face and his mask is cut off, reveling his face, his Human face. Finn and Jake stare into the man's face stunned by what they see.
"Who are you?" Finn asks all soul searchy.
The man doesn't respond, he just picks up his sword and retreats into the woods.
"Finn come on!" Jake says, "he's getting away!"
They chase him all the way to the Candy Kingdom, but stop when they see P.B. waiting for them with several banana guards.
"This is the guy PB!" Finn yells, "Get Him!"
As he says this, the thief slows down and stops at the gate. The Princess welcomes him as he hands over the crowns.
"We're all set up for you," She with a welcoming gesture, "Right this way."
"Wait what?!" Finn says confused, "Princess this is the guy that's stealing crowns, arrest him!"
"What are you talking about?" The princess asks, "I told him to get the crowns."
"PB that crazy girl!" Jake says with a huff, "Why you be stealin crowns?"
"I'm using them," She says, "Thanks for letting me know of his arrival."
"Well you cant have them, they belong to someone else," Finn explains, "even if they are evil…"
"You cant return them," The princess says crossing her arms, "Banana guards make sure of it!"
"Wait princess don't do this!" Jake yells, "This isn't right!"
"No Jake," The princess responds, "Your not right for getting in the way of science."
And with that she walks away with the thief toward the castle as the banana guards put Finn and Jake into handcuffs and haul them off to the prison. In jail Finn and Jake pace back and forth trying to figure out what just happened.
"I can't believe the princess is evil now…" Jake says.
"She isn't evil!" Finn tells him, "There's got to be an explanation or something."
"Well I can't explain it…" Jake responds.
"The thief!" Finn exclaims, "He's brain washed her!"
"Ha-ha that's silly" The guard laughs, "He wouldn't do that to the princess, he's a nice guy."
"No he isn't!" Finn retorts, "He stole crowns from the Flame King and the Ice King!"
"Yeah, the princess needs them," The guard explains.
"Why?" Finn asks.
"Yeah, why would she need more crowns?" Jake questions, "She already has one."
"She's collecting all of the Crowns," The guard huffs.
"Why, what for?" Finn questions.
"I don't' really know." The Banana Guard answers, "I'm not a scientist like the Princess."
"Can we go see her?" Finn asks, "Maybe we could help…"
"Nope the Princess said to keep you locked up, so you'll stay locked up," the banana guard said standing at attention.
"Aww come on man," Jake says, "We won't return the crowns."
"I could've sworn I was the last one," Says the man walking into the prison. He's dressed differently from before. He isn't wearing the hood and cowl now, and he's dressed in a brown suit and red bow tie.
"YOU!" Finn says, "Let us out!"
"Truth be told I was glad to see another human," The man continues speaking ignoring Finn's pleas, "But then you turned out to be very ignorant, and poor conversationalists at that…"
"What?" Finn asks.
"I was trying to have a pleasant conversation with you at the camp," The man answers, "But you wouldn't just get off of the whole "Stolen crown" subject."
"That's because it's not right to steal crowns…" Jake adds, "duh…"
"They weren't using them," The man replies, "We even told them that we were going to borrow them for a project."
"What's the project?" Jake asks.
"I'm studying the crowns of power, I was making a catalog of all of the crowns," The man answers, "It's actually kinda boring."
"What?" Finn and Jake ask.
"You wouldn't understand," The man says walking away, "You'll be out soon, don't worry"
"Wait! who are you?" Finn asks
"My name is Gunter," The man says turning his head, "Gunter Petrikov"